X-ray tube



T. B. RIDER.

X-RAY TUBE. APPLICATION map 050. 30. 1918.

1,352,630, PatentedSept. 14,1920,

A TTOR/VE Y UNITED ST T S PAT NT] OFFICE.

THOMAS 13. RIDER, or LOS enemas, cALIronnrA, ns-srsncn or. ONE-HALF To ADGLI-HE nanzrenn, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFGRNIA.

' mX-RAY TUBE.

iesassc. I

Application filed December 30, 1918. Serial No. 268,940.

My invention relates to improvements in.

X-ray tubes.

Gne of the objects of this invention is to provide effective means for regulating the vacuum within the tube;

Another object is to provide a device with means of varying strength to produce V3111 ous degrees in the gas storage so as to eifect;

a regulating and control of the vacuum of the X-ray tube. y

, Another is to providea combination of chemicals by which gases can be produced that will be effective according to the desired degree of vacuum in the tube.

@ther objects will appear from the .following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying draw ng, in

which- V The figure 18 a side elevatlon of an assembly of an X-ray tube with my device in p position.

The glass globe 1 forms the main body of the X-ray tube, which has to be maintained under a proper degree of vacuum for X-ray effectiveness. The cathode 2 is disposed within'one of the extensions of the main An anode 3 isdisposed in pracside connection connected by the wire 14= to the outside connection end of theauxiliary anode 4c. 5 designates an extension. of the main body to which my device is applied. A suitable number of side extension ends 6, 8 and 10 are communicatingwith the extension end 5 and thereby with themain body 1 of the X-ray tube, and the whole device (side extensions 6, Sand 10; and the extension 5 with the body) is properly sealed airtight to facilitate an operation of the X-ray tube under vacuum as required. Each of the extensions 6, 8 and lOis provided with a suitably prepared chemical, as indicated at 7, 9 and 1.1.

To make an operation with so many. or more chemical-containers possible and effective in the desired manner, it is preferable that the chemicals in one container be dif Specification of Letters ra a. P te t Se ferentin strength from those in'another c011- tamer. Y ltjis essential that 'X-ray'tubes-be provided with vacuum regulating devices to v meet the constantly changing vacuum in the X-ray tubes. 1 Thus far, nearly all present types of X-ray tubes have a single regulatmg device exclusively for reducing the vacuum. Thisv regulator cannot be too sensi- I tive durmg theoperation on account of the danger of reducing the vacuum beyond 7 X-ray effectiveness. Also, when the chemi-' cals that produceithe regulating gases have become exhausted, the resistance of the vacuum to the electrical current grows so strong thatoperation for X-raywork is impossible; the vacuum in such a tube must then be destroyed, a new regulator sealed on and the tube reexhausted. And as, furthermore, newly exhausted X-rayt'ubes are i invariably of a high vacuum, itis evident" that-the regulator must come into immediate useto achieve "eff cient X-ray work." It is equallyevidentthat unless there is a need for providing the X-ray tube with aux- ,1l1ary regulators to preventthe destruction or the entlre Vacuum, the sealing on of a new regulator; and the reexhausting of the tube itself, sinceone regulatorcannot possibly achieve all the various effects necessary to bring about an eflicient' and reliable vacuum for a working basis.-

To combine all these needful improvements, I have invented a cluster of a. suitable number of regulators so arranged as to be responsive not only to thevacuum within I the tube when a regulator has become ex-v hausted and areductlon of the vacuum is needed, but responsive also to the varying but stabilization, that is, to maintain a degree of desired vacuum; I am able to achieve this bypassing an electricalcurrent through one, two, or more regulators conconditions of thevacuum in the tube when such vacuum does not need any reduction regulators at one time will be used and the others consecutively or alternately to reduce the vacuum, two or more may come intooporation when stable vacuum rather than a reduction of the same be desired, the eifect of which will be as already mentioned.

It will readily be understood that as many more regulators as desired for reducing the vacuum can be added to the cluster the object of which is to aiiord eiiicient service without interruption, and thus save time, labor and the re'e'xhaustion of the X-ray tube, all of which when obviated, tends to prolong the lite and the efliciency of the X-ray tube.

The cathode feed wire 12 is shown to the left, and the anode feed wire 15 to the right. A .wire .arm 13 is joined to the regulator 10 and extended close to the cathode feed wire or more regulators to stabilize and maintain theivacuum at a certain degree, wires similar to wire arm 13 can be attached ina suitable manner to the respective regulators, thus, while one wire arm, it operated alone, will reduce the vacuum, and the other regulators may be used consecutively for the same purpose, the chemicals may also be blended by affecting two or more of the regulators containing chemicals at the same time and thus blend the gases to regulate the vacuum in the X'-ray tube.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an X-ray tube, a cluster of a suitable number of regulators each regulator containing chemicals ofdiiierent strength from the chemicals in the others.

2. In an X-ray tube, a cluster of a suitable number of regulators each regulator containing chemicals of different strength to the strength of the chemicals in the others, and means for connecting each oiithe regulators with the sourceof the electrical current for blending the obtained gases from the chemicals in the different regulators for the purpose of stabilizing the vacuum and maintaining a desired degree of vacuum in the X-ray tube.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS B. RIDER. lVitnesses:

CORNELIUS M. ENns, 'LoUIs F. DELLA. 

